If you are a fan of spinach artichoke dip, then you are going to LOVE this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta with a vegan basil cream sauce! I've teamed up with Cento Fine Foods to use their incredibly delicious Italian ingredients including artichokes, extra virgin olive oil, and whole wheat spaghetti to make the ultimate creamy & flavorful vegan pasta dish for summer!
This post is sponsored by Cento Fine Foods. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!
I am BEYOND excited to bring you this amazing recipe with Cento Fine Foods today! If I'm honest, before I tried their canned artichokes, I wasn't always the biggest fan of artichokes (mainly because they can be time consuming to cook). Well, let me tell you this recipe has converted me into an artichoke lover!
Ingredients:
This creamy pasta uses the best ingredients from Cento and a couple summer favorites like fresh basil & spinach to create the ultimate summer pasta recipe. Plus, did I mention this recipe only takes 30 minutes to whip up?! Here is a quick breakdown of the ingredients we are using to make this recipe:
For the pasta:
- Anna Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- Fresh Garlic, minced
- Shallots (can be subbed 1:1 with chopped onion)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Cento canned quartered artichokes
- Chili flakes
- Fresh spinach
For the basil cream sauce:
- Fresh basil
- Pine nuts
- Nutritional yeast
- Oat Milk (or any plant-based milk, unsweetened and unflavored)
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Salt & pepper to taste
Steps to make vegan spinach artichoke pasta
Once you have all your ingredients, the first step is to cook the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, chop and prep the veggies and make the vegan basil cream sauce! This basil cream sauce is very similar to a vegan pesto in terms of flavor, but it is not as thick as a traditional pesto would be.
Luckily, making this sauce couldn't be easier. Simply add all the ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. The sauce will seem a little thin at this point, but don't worry- that's okay!
Once the sauce gets added to the pan and cooks, the cornstarch plus the starch from the pasta will help to thicken the sauce significantly.
Once the pasta is cooked & sauce is prepped, add the minced garlic, chopped shallot, and olive oil to a pan. Turn on the heat and sauté for 5 minutes until the garlic and shallots have become translucent and are beginning to brown.
Then, add in the strained and rinsed artichokes, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
Since the canned artichokes will be wet, it is important to pat them dry before adding to the pan.Otherwise, the oil will spatter when mixed with water.
I also prefer to chop the quartered artichokes in half so they are more well dispersed throughout the pasta. Once the artichokes are in the pan, cook everything for about 5 more minutes.
Next, add in the fresh spinach and sauté with the veggies. The pan will seem really full at this point, but the spinach will wilt quite a bit once cooked. Honestly, the spinach only needs about 1-2 minutes of cooking time so don't overcook it!
To finish, add in the dairy-free basil cream sauce and cooked whole wheat spaghetti and mix everything together. Then, cook over low heat for 2-5 more minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
As a final step, top the spinach artichoke pasta with optional toasted pine nuts. Then, serve and enjoy while still warm!
FAQ & Substitutions:
Is there a good substitute for cornstarch in the sauce?
Not really. Unfortunately, a lot of substitutes like arrowroot powder or tapioca starch give cooked sauces more of a "gel" consistency vs. the creamy smooth sauce we are looking for. If you are okay with a slightly thinner sauce and can't find cornstarch, it's totally fine to omit it in this recipe. All the flavor of the basil cream sauce will still be there!
Can I make this dish gluten-free?
Yes! While I choose to make this with Anna whole wheat spaghetti, just sub in any gluten-free pasta 1:1 for an entirely gluten-free dish. The sauce and pasta toppings are all naturally gluten-free.
Can the sauce be made nut-free?
Also, yes. While pine-nuts give this sauce a very distinct pesto-like flavor, they can be subbed 1:1 for pumpkin seeds. I have used pumpkin seeds to make pesto in the past in my Heirloom Tomato Toasts, so I know it's a delicious nut-free alternative.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftover pasta can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
I truly hope you love this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta with creamy vegan basil sauce. It's one of my go-to summer pasta recipes, especially since it only takes 30 minutes to whip up. Enjoy!
-TSG
Looking for more vegan & vegetarian pasta recipes? Check out these SGTO favorites!
Vegan Lemon Butter Pasta with Peas & Leeks
Creamy Vegan Truffle Mushroom Pasta
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Whole wheat spaghetti gets paired with artichokes, spinach, and a creamy dairy-free basil sauce for the ultimate vegan pasta recipe!
Ingredients
Basil cream sauce:
- 1 ½ cup oat milk (354 ml, or any plant-based milk, unsweetened)
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil, packed (27 grams)
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts (14 grams)
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (22 grams)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (11 grams)
- ½ Tbsp cornstarch (4 grams)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Pasta ingredients:
- 8 oz dried pasta (I used Anna organic whole wheat spaghetti)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (22 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (14 grams)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cans Cento quartered artichokes (strained, rinsed, cut in half, and patted dry)
- ½ tsp chili flakes (1 gram)
- Salt & pepper to taste (season to your preference)
- 5 cups spinach, loosely packed
- 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional, as a garnish)
- Fresh basil (optional, as garnish)
Instructions
- First, cook the pasta, strain, and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, make the basil cream sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set the sauce aside for later.
- Next, add the olive oil to a pan and turn on the heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the minced garlic and chopped shallot. Sauté 3-5 minutes until translucent and beginning to brown. Then, add in the artichokes and sauté with the onions and garlic for another 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the pan of vegetables, mix in, and cook with the vegetables for an additional 1-2 minutes until the spinach begins to wilt. Then, pour in the basil cream sauce and cooked pasta and cook everything together for another 2-5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove the pasta from the heat, serve, and top with additional toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 1 week or the freezer for 1 month.
- If using fresh artichokes, they must be cooked before using in this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 331mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 10gSugar: 10gProtein: 13g
ShortGirlTallOrder occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although shortgirltallorder.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Avery says
Great dish - creamy, easy sauce! If you're a garlic lover, I'd add another clove or two.
You list nutritional yeast in the blog but it's not in the recipe. I used 1 tbsp. Is that the right amount? Thanks!
Megan Horowitch says
Thanks for catching that, it's 2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast actually but 1 Tbsp also works 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the sauce!
Spicy demons (Sofia) says
This dish was soo delicious! The flavours complemented each other perfectly and the whole family loved it! We will be making it again and again.
Megan Horowitch says
Thank you for sharing so happy to hear it!!